h/t: Shutterstock Royalty-free photo ID: 2538161 Many of us are making a 33-day preparation for consecration to St. Joseph, which will take place on May 1st (the feast of St. Joseph the Worker). I’m using Fr. Donald Calloway’s fine book Consecration to St. Joseph. Each day’s reading takes about seven or eight minutes, and I render full credit for these thoughts, respecting copyright laws, to Fr. Donald H. Calloway, author of the book.
Day Ten
We consider St. Joseph today under his title Lumen Patriarcharum, or “Light of Patriarchs.” These days the word “patriarchy” has been vilified, largely because of bad patriarchs. Several years ago a strong woman friend of mine was arguing with a secular feminist. You gotta problem with patriarchy, sister? she said. I don’t know about you, but I love my father! A good father is a very good thing, and St. Joseph is a good father. In fact, he’s the best father this old world has ever seen. “The paternal light of God shines through the fatherhood of St. Joseph,” Fr. Calloway writes.
Last Friday I led a zoom conference on St. Joseph with a dozen young men. One of them asked how St. Joseph received the title “terror of demons.” I didn’t know at the time, but Fr. Calloway explains it today. Wonderfully reflecting the Father of Lights, St. Joseph is the most perfect “bearer of light.” The highest of the angels was Lucifer (Latin for “light-bearer”). He became fascinated by “his own” beauty, which he should have known was entirely a reflection of God’s beauty. After all, what beauty do we have that we have not been given? This former “Lucifer” chose to separate himself from the Father of Lights. He lives now in darkness and hates the light. It is St. Joseph, the most perfect earthly reflection of God’s fatherhood (after his son Jesus), that is now the true Light Bearer. All demons, who had been light-bearers but now bear only darkness, fear and hate St. Joseph because he powerfully carries the true light, Jesus Christ, into the world's darkest places.
Day Ten
We consider St. Joseph today under his title Lumen Patriarcharum, or “Light of Patriarchs.” These days the word “patriarchy” has been vilified, largely because of bad patriarchs. Several years ago a strong woman friend of mine was arguing with a secular feminist. You gotta problem with patriarchy, sister? she said. I don’t know about you, but I love my father! A good father is a very good thing, and St. Joseph is a good father. In fact, he’s the best father this old world has ever seen. “The paternal light of God shines through the fatherhood of St. Joseph,” Fr. Calloway writes.
Last Friday I led a zoom conference on St. Joseph with a dozen young men. One of them asked how St. Joseph received the title “terror of demons.” I didn’t know at the time, but Fr. Calloway explains it today. Wonderfully reflecting the Father of Lights, St. Joseph is the most perfect “bearer of light.” The highest of the angels was Lucifer (Latin for “light-bearer”). He became fascinated by “his own” beauty, which he should have known was entirely a reflection of God’s beauty. After all, what beauty do we have that we have not been given? This former “Lucifer” chose to separate himself from the Father of Lights. He lives now in darkness and hates the light. It is St. Joseph, the most perfect earthly reflection of God’s fatherhood (after his son Jesus), that is now the true Light Bearer. All demons, who had been light-bearers but now bear only darkness, fear and hate St. Joseph because he powerfully carries the true light, Jesus Christ, into the world's darkest places.
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